Monday, 13 May 2013

Number 10 today welcomes Nick Seddon, former
lobbyist and private healthcare advocate, into Downing Street to lead on health
policy formation. What does this say about Cameron’s real attitude to the
lobbying game he has publicly decried? And what kind of policies will Seddon be
pushing now? There are good reasons to be concerned.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Just before
the general election, David Cameron declared his opposition to lobbying, saying “we all know how it
works. The lunches, the hospitality, the quiet word in your ear, the
ex-ministers and ex-advisors for hire... It arouses people’s worst fears and
suspicions about how our political system works, with money buying power, power
fishing for money and a cosy club at the top making decisions in their own
interest...We can't go on like this”

Today, Number 10 will welcome former lobbyist Nick Seddon into the heart of
Downing Street, as his health adviser. Seddon’s last role was as deputy
director of ‘Reform’ - a free market think tank extensively funded by
healthcare and insurance companies. He has openly called for an end to the NHS
as we know it, and promoted the idea of an insurance-based system.

Before joining Reform, Nick Seddon was
head of communications at private healthcare company Circle - the first company
to take over the running
of a NHS hospital.

His role during the passage of the
Health and Social Care bill was to lobby key people to defend competition in
the bill. His reward? A place in Cameron’s health policy unit,developingpolicies for the 2015 general election.